Degrees:
BSc (Honours in Chemistry), St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia
PhD in Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta
My research interests primarily lie in the fields of catalysis and green chemistry. My current research focuses on improving the environmental sustainability and efficiency of industrial chemical processes through asymmetric catalyst immobilization and continuous-flow.
Selected Publications and Patents:
Selected Presentations:
I have taught a variety of chemistry courses to date including general chemistry, introductory and advanced inorganic chemistry, introductory and advanced organic chemistry and organic spectroscopy.
The courses that I currently teach are:
June 2017: A big welcome to international intern Banruo (Francis) Li! Francis will be working with Marina on catalytic MOF synthesis over the summer months
May 2017: A big welcome to international intern Marina Schmidt-Thome! Marina will be working on catalytic MOF synthesis over the summer months.
An introduction to inorganic chemistry with particular emphasis on the bonding, reactivity and characterization of transition metal complexes. Topics include: Donor-acceptor chemistry, ligand substitution, redox chemistry, photochemical reactions, electronic spectra, magnetochemistry, NMR spectroscopy and an introduction to organometallic chemistry. Prerequisite: AUCHE 250.
Winter Term 2023This lab course is an extension of AUCHE 251 and introduces students to intermediate and advanced synthetic laboratory principles and techniques. Concepts include the synthesis of transition metal and organometallic complexes, the rational design and synthesis of organic ligand systems, reactions of metal complexes and inert atmosphere synthesis. Students will also gain experience analyzing and interpreting real-world data acquired from a variety of characterization techniques, including NMR, UV-Vis, IR and magnetic susceptibility. Prerequisite: AUCHE 251.
Winter Term 2023 Winter Term 2023An extension of AUCHE 350 and an introduction to catalysis. Topics include: Common organometallic ligand systems, organometallic reactions and related mechanisms, homogenous, heterogeneous and asymmetric catalysis, catalyst synthesis and design, flow chemistry and industrial catalytic applications. Prerequisite: AUCHE 350.
Winter Term 2023This course is a guided-inquiry laboratory course that is focused on the development of modern organic and inorganic synthetic skills and techniques. Students will gain hands-on experience in researching, developing and implementing synthetic methodologies and analyzing experimental results. In addition, student will strengthen their communication skills through oral and written assignments. Prerequisites: AUCHE 351. Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of AUCHE 353 and AUCHE 360 (2021).
Winter Term 2023